Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to all qualified individuals. If you are already a current, permanent employee of a Federal Government Agency please apply to vacancy announcement CBBC-10699233-20-AF.

This is a multi-disciplinary position with one (1) vacancy that can be filled with one of the following disciplines: a Psychologist, a Social Worker, a Psychiatrist or a APRN. This announcement is for the APRN. Below are the vacancy announcement numbers if you wish to apply for the Psychologist, the Psychiatrist, or the Social Worker.

• Psychology Program Manager, Vacancy Number 10696396
• Physician (Psychiatrist), Vacancy Number 10698400
• Social Worker Program Coordinator, Vacancy Number 10697505

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The Director of the Substance Dependence Division is an administrative and clinical position that provides leadership and administrative control over all clinical services within the Substance Dependence Division within the Mental Health Care Line of the Cincinnati Veterans Administration Medical Center. The incumbent in this position is expected to remain privileged and practicing in his/her specialty field as a Psychiatric Mental Health Advance Practice Registered Nurse. This position is a management and clinical position that provides administrative leadership, direct patient care, and general oversight of clinical, educational, and research activities.


Responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

• Program planning and development, determination of area of program need.
• Provision of leadership, guidance and consultation directed toward staff development and motivation to higher standards of professional performance.
• Management of Mental Health programs within Division and partnerships.
• Participate in management, professional and medical administrative, voluntary services interdepartmental and interdisciplinary meetings for policy making and procedure development.
• Administering of personnel policies and procedures for all staff, interviewing, selecting and evaluating staff, determining space and equipment needs, authorizing expenditures from all assigned fiscal control points, preparing or directing preparation of regular statistical, narrative and special reports. Monitoring of division records and correspondence, advising and guiding staff toward the solution of unusual problems upon requests.
• Represents mental health leadership at meetings of lay and professional community groups who are engaged in the study or development of medical, health, recreational and other welfare services. Maintains cooperative and sharing relationships with other VA stations and community resources.
• Develops and maintains an awareness for available resources and makes recommendations to the MHCL Director regarding needs, distribution or redistribution of these resources.
• Serves as a member of the Mental Health Care Line's Senior Management Team. In this capacity, the incumbent serves on numerous VISN, Medical Center and community Task Force and committees.
• Develops both long and short-range policies and plans for the division by coordinating the administration needs of the division.
• Provides a full range of mental health assessment services to patients.
• Consults with and serves as a resource for other medical center staff on a wide variety of patient care issues.
• Involved in planning and overseeing the completion of Quality Improvement and Measurement Based Care programs designed to provide information regarding program planning and treatment approaches relevant to the SUDEP Division.
• The incumbent provides a full range of mental health assessment services to patients. Such services are consistent with the incumbent's training and privileging as a psychiatric advanced practice nurse
  

CUSTOMER SERVICE REQUIREMENTS: Cincinnati VAMC embraces patient-family centered care principles. The incumbent practices good customer service in all work activities. Must be poised and articulate in communicating with people of varied educational levels and varied ethnic backgrounds. Makes caring for the veteran his/her priority while in the work setting and demonstrates customer service principles in all aspects of work. Willing to work cooperatively as a member of a team in all assignments.

Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Designated and/or random drug testing required
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Subject to a background/security investigation
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Basic Requirements:

1. United States Citizenship.
2. Graduate of a school of professional nursing approved by the appropriate State-accrediting agency and accredited by one of the following accrediting bodies at the time the program was completed by the applicant: The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). (NOTE: Applicant's degree program must be listed on one of the above websites (CCNE or ACEN) showing accreditation at the time the degree was completed. If the school is not currently listed or degree was obtained before accredited date showing in the website, the applicant must provide in the application materials a written statement/evidence of past accreditation from ACEN or CCNE during the time they obtained their degree).
3. Current, full, active, and unrestricted registration as a graduate professional nurse in a State, Territory or Commonwealth (i.e., Puerto Rico) of the United States, or the District of Columbia.
4. A masters degree from a program accredited by the NLNAC or CCNE at the time of graduation
5. Prescriptive Authority
   

Nurse Practitioners and Clinical Nurse Specialists. - Registered Nurses appointed or otherwise moving into one of the below assignments must meet and maintain the following additional qualifications:

• Nurse Practitioners. A nurse practitioner must be licensed or otherwise recognized as a nurse practitioner in a State, possess a master's degree from a program accredited by the NLNAC or CCNE, and maintain full and current certification as a nurse practitioner from the American Nurses Association or another nationally recognized certifying body. [The certification must be in the specialty to which the individual is being appointed or selected.]
• Clinical Nurse Specialists. A clinical nurse specialist must possess a Masters degree from an academic program accredited by the NLNAC or CCNE [and maintain full and current certification as a clinical nurse specialist from the American Nurses Association or another nationally recognized certifying body. The certification must be in the specialty to which the individual is being appointed or selected.]

The APRN must be licensed or otherwise recognized as an APRN in a State and maintain full and current certification as a Psychiatric Mental Health Practitioner or clinical nurse specialist from the American Nurses Association or another nationally recognized certifying body.

Preferred Experience:

• Licensed APRN with prescriptive authority.
• Previous Psychiatric & Mental Health nursing experience.
• Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Board Certification
• A DEA license to assist with prescription of controlled medications.
• A Current Basic Life Support (BLS) provider card issued by American Heart Association (AHA).

Grade Determinations: The following criteria must be met in determining the grade assignment of candidates, and if appropriate, the level within a grade:

• Nurse I Level III - a Master's degree in nursing (MSN) or related field with a BSN and no additional nursing practice/experience.
• Nurse II - a Master's degree in nursing or related field with a BSN and approximately 1-2 year's of nursing practice/experience; OR a Doctoral degree in nursing or meets basic requirements for appointment and has doctoral degree in a related field with no additional nursing practice/experience required.
• Nurse III - Master's degree in nursing or related field with BSN and approximately 2-3 year's of nursing practice/experience; OR a Doctoral degree and approximately 2-3 year's of nursing practice/experience.

Reference: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G-6 Nurse Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office.


Physical Requirements: Per VA Directive and Handbook 5019 - a physical examination will be conducted based on the physical requirements of the position. A physical examination prior to placement is required. The population of male and female veterans served ranges from the adult, age 18, to the elderly adult, age 65 and over. The VA Medical Center is a major interdisciplinary teaching facility, serving medical, surgical, and neurological inpatients and outpatients. There is a large outpatient psychiatric population, with admissions for medical co-morbidities. This position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing. Transferring patients and objects may be required. The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing in isolation situations or operative/invasive procedures. The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs.


BLS/ACLS REQUIREMENTS UPON SELECTION: Per VHA Directive 1177, current certification in BLS issued from the American Heart Association or Military Training Network is required for all staff providing direct patient care, and police. Additionally, current ACLS is required for patient care staff that work in specified or high-risk areas. If you are selected for a position which requires BLS/ACLS certification, you will be required to have proof of certification (issued from the American Heart Association or Military Training Network) prior to being boarded for an appointment with the VA. (Failure to provide such certification can result in delays in the hiring process).

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, résumé, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified.

Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.


NOTE: The Candidate's education and length of nursing practice (experience) will be considered by a Nurse Professional Standards Board in determining the grade and salary of the applicant selected. The recommended salary may be at any point in the range listed for this vacancy. The information that you list on your 10.2850a application form and on your resume will be used so please be sure that you are very detailed when listing your experience.

Experience as an RN will be evaluated to determine if the experience is of an acceptable level of quality with regard to the following four dimensions of nursing: Practice, Professional Development, Collaboration and Scientific Inquiry. Each dimension of practice has criteria that demonstrate essential core competencies for VHA Nursing Personnel.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

AREA OF CONSIDERATION: 1. CURRENT PERMANENT EMPLOYEES OF THE VA. 2. CURRENT PERMANENT EMPLOYEES OF A FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY (other than VA) 3. ALL OTHER CANDIDATES.